The Definition of Family
by Unseen Watcher
Summary: Riho turns up missing one night. It's up to Shido to find her and those that took her.
1. Unexpected Introductions

The Definition of Family  
  
by The Unseen Watcher  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own NightWalker. At the same time I haven't a clue who does. I've only seen three videos of it, so any differences with the plot line will just have to be viewed as an alterverse. This is also written partly for those who haven=t a clue what the series is about.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Unexpected Introductions ---------------  
  
Yukido walked casually down the crowded street, his hands in his pockets. There were few tourists in this part of town and so the pickings had been slim. His mother had that horrible cough again and needed the expensive medicine more than ever. These people were rich; they could afford to donate= a little money. He spotted a likely target, a young girl, literally bouncing down the street. He angled toward her, deliberately bumping into her as his hands worked fast.  
  
*  
  
Riho turned to scold the rude boy that had so thoughtlessly shoved her, but saw weaving fast through the crowd away from her. Her hand went automatically to her little wallet. It was missing! Her first instinct was to shout for the police, but then she stopped, a smile slowly growing on her face. She had other options. She started weaving through the throng at an remarkable rate.  
  
*  
  
Yukido paused, and moved into a small alley. There was no sign of pursuit. He had gotten away. Eagerly he pulled out the pilfered wallet, quickly searching it for money. To his disappointment there was very little, less than 500 yen. He was just about to toss the wallet away in disgust when a hand closed on his shoulder.  
  
Yukido looked up into the sneering face of his captor. He silently cursed his own stupidity, increasing his silent self-recrimination as he saw the rest of the guys friends come out of the shadows. He had accidentally wandered into yakuza territory. He had been so preoccupied with getting away that he had not watched where he was going. He knew that the money he had would not be enough to appease them. He braced himself for the beating he knew would come.  
  
AHey!@ a high voice cut through the silence. AWhere=s my wallet?@ Ignoring the encircling toughs the girl that Yukido recognized as the one he had just mugged walked into the alley, her feet stomping in a most unladylike fashion, her cute face drawn up in a scowl. She looked as threatening as a small kitten.  
  
*  
  
Riho spied her target, ignoring the others in the alley. AThere you are!@ She said, her face scrunching up even more. AThat was really rude of you, you know. If you wanted some money, I can think of lots of more honest ways to get it. What=s worse, you stole my favorite wallet. Give it back right now!@  
  
*  
  
Yukido eyed the crazy girl as she came toward him. He was now dangling in the thug=s grasp and in no position to fight, at least not physically. AAre you a complete moron?!@ he demanded, finally finding his voice. AYou come into yakuza territory and your big concern is a stupid wallet? You=re going to be killed! I don=t think a wallet is what you should be worried about right now!@  
  
*  
  
Riho huffed, her pale face reddening at the insults. They sounded a lot like a certain caustic tongued fairy's and immediately put her on the defensive. AI am not a moron! That wallet is important to me! It was one of the last things my mother gave me . . .@ She trailed off, realizing that these goons had no right to know about that. Returning her glare to the rude boy in front of her, she demanded. AGive it back right now. I=m already late getting home!@  
  
AOh that=s too bad.@ A voice said from the shadows. Another tough stepped out. AWe were kind of hoping you could stay and play a while, little girl. Weren=t we boys?@ Rough chuckles and a few snickers greeted this pronouncement as they murmured their agreement, looking up and down Riho=s slim form. She flushed even more under their gazes, even more indignant. She had known where they all were even before she had stepped into the alleyway, but to actually confront them was another matter. She tensed as one of them started toward her, the rest having long since cut off her retreat.  
  
The thug made a grab for her, one that to her startled gaze seemed incredibly slow. It dawned on her that SHE wasn't the one in danger here. With a feral grin she caught his arm and sent him over her shoulder to crash into some of his buddies. This was kind of fun! She was fighting Bad Guys! Dashing forward, her chestnut hair whipped behind her. She reached the thug that was holding the thief boy first and viciously kicked his knee, sending him crashing with a shriek of pain to the ground. Not pausing to even glance at the two of them, she moved on to her next target. He managed to grab her but she wrenched out of his grip and landed a somewhat wobbly punch at his face. It worked though as her unnatural strength was behind the blow. He went down with clutching a broken nose.  
  
Riho made fast work of the few that were left. She discovered that she was best at kicking and throwing. Some got back up but soon decided that it was best to stay down after repeatedly being thrown against the brick walls of the alley. The leader was the most stubborn of the lot. He whipped out a heavy chain and threw a length of it at her, aiming to crush bones. It glanced off her shoulder, instant numbing it and sending her spinning into a wall. The leader warily walked up to her, more cautious than before. Slowly, a triumphant grin spread across his face. He bent over the still form of the dangerous girl. She started to stir, and he raised his chain enwrapped fist for a blow.  
  
Riho=s head whipped up, her mahogany brown eyes flared for an instant, replaced by one=s of slitted gold. She snarled, baring Very sharp teeth. The thug froze, his smirk twisting in a rictus of terror as incredibly strong hands seized his throat.  
  
Riho fought with herself for a moment, her instincts screaming at her to rip out his throat with her teeth and feed. But she had fed not that long ago, and her will was strong. Her morality at that moment was the only thing that saved the now trembling punk from instant death. Instead she picked him up one-handed and slammed him, gently, against the wall. He slumped into unconsciousness, joining the rest of his crew.  
  
She paused, realizing that she was not even breathing very hard. Though she had to admit that she didn't breathe much in the first place. Now that the adrenalin rush from the danger was fading, she felt kind of guilty for hurting them, but just a bit. *Serves them right for picking on people!* She thought stubbornly.  
  
Riho looked up to see the boy that had stolen her wallet finally managing to wriggle himself out from under the still form of his former captor. He was dusting himself off as she came up to him. AI=ll have my wallet back now, please." She said quietly, her hand outstretched.  
  
*  
  
He looked up at her, a retort forming on his lips, and met her eyes. His own eyes widened as he met the gold gaze before him. Primal terror of the things that hunted in the darkness gripped him. Shaking slightly, he reached into his pocket and handed her the wallet. His mind screamed at him to run, but he resisted, knowing that he could never outpace this creature before him. If she chose to go after him he wouldn't make it three steps.  
  
*  
  
Riho rifled through the wallet, and sighed in relief as she found what she was looking for. Looking at the scruffy boy before her she opened it and pointed out her treasures. ASee?@ She said, oblivious to the look of horror he was giving her, AYou nearly took away the only pictures I have of my family and friends.@ There were two pictures in the wallet. One of her and her school friends, and the other of her parents.  
  
*  
  
Yukido could only gaze numbly at the revealed photos, his mind reeling in confusion at the contrast between the petulant tone as she reproved him, and the predator eyes that he knew belonged more to a blood-crazed monster out of legend than the girl in front of him. He flinched as she took his hand and placed something in it. He blinked and looked down to see the money that had been in the wallet placed there.  
  
AAs I was saying before, there=s better, and easier ways to make money.@ She said, causing him to look up into eyes that had returned to brown. She winked at him and turned and walked toward the street. ATake care, and stay OUT of trouble.@ She called over her shoulder in her normal bubbly voice. With that she started to skip away but stopped, stifling a pained squeak at the sudden pain in her shoulder reminded her of her injury. She slowed to a careful walk, clutching her shoulder as she turned out of the alley.  
  
Yukido blinked again and stared down at the money in his hand. He gazed after the weird girl, his thoughts confused. Finally giving up, he shrugged, unable to explain the bizarre event he had just been through. Survival instincts kicked in and he moved quickly out of the yakuza=s territory, intending to be far away from the place by the time they came to. He paused at the wall where his strange rescuer had fallen, picking up a limp object that fallen there. He mentally resolved not to take delicate looking girls for granted. You never knew much by looks, did you? Still, he was sure somehow that she had been a very unusual example of her kind, though he knew he was no expert on vampires.  
  
****  
  
Tastsuhiko Shido sighed, gazing around his office. All was quiet. There hadn=t been any of the types of cases lately that required his unique= expertise. No weird causes of death, animal sacrifice, or possessed people running around biting bystanders.  
  
(If you=re coming in late, Shido is rather experienced with dealing with the paranormal, which makes sense because besides being a private detective, he=s also a vampire. One who=s lived enough centuries to know to appreciate a rare quiet moment while it lasts. His life, such as it was, was usually crammed full of chaotic events. He was wise enough to appreciate peace while it lasted, however briefly.) Shido closed his eyes, content. No one (or rather noTHING) was attacking him or anyone who would care to hire him. Guni, his little sprite friend, often berated him for being lazy, quite often in fact. And speaking of Guni, it was just about time for another . . . AShido, you look like a leftover lump of Jell-O!@ . . .Insult, he finished the thought. He cracked open one light-blue eye to look at the source of the irritated, high- pitched voice.  
  
The tiny urban fairy was sitting lotus style in midair, her bat-like wings stretched out, keeping her petite body hovering just above the lamp on his desk. How she kept that position without moving her wings he would never know. Her small face was scrunched up in a scowl as her ruby eyes gazed at him in disapproval beneath a wave of yellow hair that fell past her waist.  
  
Shido lifted a lazy eyebrow, amusement showing openly on his face. It never failed to secretly touch him that Guni cared enough about him to bug him. Underneath that impatient, scornful exterior was a friend that continually worried about him. Not that she would admit it, even under torture. Not even to herself.  
  
Shido smiled. Friends were still a novel thing to him. He had lived so many centuries alone, or with his master, and there was no friendship lost in THAT relationship. He turned his darkening thoughts away from that direction and focused on answering Guni=s barb.  
  
AGuni, you know as well as I do that I can=t work when there is no work to do. You know it won=t last, so just relax and enjoy it.@ Shido leaned back in his chair, covering his eyes with his top hat and absently shifting his long lavender hair out of the way.  
  
If possible, the fairy=s frown deepened. It was nearly impossible to annoy Shido when he was this relaxed. Guni glanced around the office, seeking vainly for something to do. She was bored! Not only was business slow, there was no one to get into an insulting match with. Yayoi, the NOS agent that sometimes seemed to half Live at his office, hadn=t come in for a while, and to top off Guni=s problems Riho was out as well. The young secretary/vampire had gone out for a walk. She was always easy to goad into an argument, especially one about Shido.  
  
The teenager had a terminal crush on the P.I., and had never really bothered to hide it. Shido=s exact feelings toward her were a mystery. He probably didn=t know them himself. He seemed to waver between a protective older friend and some actual genuine return affection.  
  
Guni rolled her eyes as she thought about the two of them for the umpteenth time. *Wherever she is now I bet the little tramp is thinking about him,* she thought sourly.  
  
****  
  
  
  
As a matter of fact, Riho was thinking about Shido, but that=s not really much of a shock. Shido was a man she had admired since the first time she had met him, after the death of her parents. He had taken her in like she was family. Oh, he had tried to disguise it under the act of needing a secretary, but she easily saw through the pretense to the kind heart underneath. He genuinely cared about a grief-stricken orphan whose only family had been murdered by Nightbreeds, the insubstantial creatures of darkness that haunted the night shadows, yearning for bodies of their own. Her parents were had been killed, leaving their daughter behind.  
  
Riho had been alone, and only the intervention of Shido-san in her life had kept her from completely withdrawing from reality. When she had found out that he was a vampire, a creature of the Nightbreeds, she had astonished him by accepting it rather calmly. Of course, the fact that he was saving her life when she made the discovery and her already firmly fixed affection might have been factors. To her, Shido-san could do no wrong.  
  
Then a former mentor turned enemy had come from Shido=s past to reclaim him. But Shido had absolutely no desire to go back to a life of hunting humanity for food and fun. The older vampire, whom Shido called Cain, kidnapped Riho as a card to play against his former protegee. In the ensuing fight he had cut her up so badly that it was obvious that she would quickly bleed to death. Instead, she had entreated Shido to make her a vampire too so that she could always be with him. It took a lot of begging and tears but Shido had finally granted her request rather than see her die.  
  
She had never regretted that decision. She was now truly a part of his family, forever. But despite her repeated assurances, he still felt guilty for caving in and giving her immortality. He believed that one day (or rather one night) she would come to her senses and realize that he had cursed her with an eternity of nights. This only made her more stubborn to prove him wrong.  
  
She respected his opinion greatly, but he was a man after all and they believed such silly things sometimes. Whyever would she regret spending eternity with him as her family?  
  
As she happily skipped down a street she was so lost in thought that she failed to see the shadows closing in on her.  
  
****  
  
The Chief Inspector of the NOS [I have no idea what that stands for] sat in a dark room, waiting patiently. His men should be back soon with their catch. Then his vindication in the eyes of his superiors would begin.  
  
When it was first discovered that Agent Matsunaga was working with a vampire, one of the very creatures the NOS had been formed to protect humanity against, knowing full well what he was. Well, he had expected Central to at the very least throw her out of the agency and track down the dangerous thing.  
  
Instead, the higher-ups seemed to see some value in a vampire as an ally. They even allowed Matsunaga to retain her post, with extra attention given to her because of her most unusual ally.  
  
He had protested, of course. But his objections had been swept aside because Central thought the vampire could be of great use. Of use! The creature should have been destroyed as soon as its true nature was revealed. He didn=t buy any of Matsunaga=s bull about him wanting to protect humanity. Either she was a fool or was being controlled, which made her doubly a fool in his eyes. The only way to get rid of the monsters at that detective agency was to prove their true evil natures once and for all. He had a plan to do that.  
  
He smiled coldly as he anticipated his victory, waiting in the dark silence of the hidden lab.  
  
****  
  
Riho looked up at a clock she was passing along the busy street. It was time to go home. She didn=t want Shido-san to worry. *No, not -San, just Shido* she mentally scolded herself. Since Cain had come back from the grave Shido had been almost fanatical about protecting her. He liked to keep her close nowadays. VERY close, she remembered with a small blush and a smile. She was kind of surprised that he had made little fuss about her going out tonight. She hoped he was beginning to relax a bit. She had missed her nightly walks through the city. She turned into an alley she knew to be a shortcut back to the office. Walking unconcerned, into the shadows. It wasn=t as though she had anything to fear from the muggers and murderers anymore . . .  
  
She caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and turned her head just in time to catch the sound of the gas canister hitting the alley floor at her feet. They it exploded, knocking her against the wall and into unconsciousness even before the fumes took effect.  
  
****  
  
Shido frowned, his good mood dispelling as he caught a glimpse of the clock. Riho should have been back by now. He slowly brought his mounting anxiety under control. She was a big girl and could take care of herself. He actually rather pitied any human lowlife who tried to take advantage of her. But it wasn=t the human refuse of the city he was worried about.  
  
Shaking his head, Shido tried to return to his relaxing contemplation of the ceiling, trying to ignore a nagging feeling that something was wrong.  
  
****  
  
Men clad in riot gear and masked came into a building, dragging a limp bundle in the middle of their formation. They came to a room that had been specially prepared, all sides made of reinforced steel with a barred door that had only a small window in it. The first in the group opened that door and his comrades tossed their burden into the chamber, where it rolled drunkenly until it hit the opposite wall. They left as silently as they came, bolting the door and activating the room=s security system behind them.  
  
After a while the lump stirred and moaned. It suddenly seemed to become aware because it was suddenly ripped down the side and a young girl climbed out. Looking around her, yellow-slitted eyes narrowed in anger at her abduction, she snarled at the walls she found encasing her.  
  
AWelcome Miss Yamazaki.@ A speaker echoed from the ceiling. AWelcome to your new home.@ Riho ran to the door, pounding on it futilely. She was trapped.  
  
--------------- If you're reading this now, that means someone finally got a Nightwalker site going. This one's been on the back burner for a long time. I've been concentrating on other fics, so please stand by (a lot) on this one. 


	2. Suspicions and Worries

The Definition of Family  
  
By The Unseen Watcher  
  
Nightwalker and all related works don't belong to me. The storyline is made up and has no deliberate relation to any other. Thank you.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
  
  
Suspicions and Worries  
  
------------------  
  
  
  
Agent Yayoi Matsunaga of the NOS paused in her typing, stretching her arms above her head in an effort to ease cramped shoulder muscles. No cases of any consequence had crossed her desk lately. She was thus stuck at her desk, filling out reports. She was bored out of her mind and felt like her eyes would dry out completely if she stared at the computer screen a second longer. Besides, she was getting hungry.  
  
Yayoi got up and went over to the office=s refrigerator, weaving through other cubicles as she did so. Pulling out a large brown sack, she meandered idly back in the direction of her desk.  
  
AHey Yayoi, is that your lunch or are you taking out the trash?@ A voice teased from a nearby desk. Yayoi turned to her verbal opponent, her co- worker Aiko, with one eyebrow arched in mock surprise. She was often teased by the other inhabitants of the office. She was used to their comments by now and gave back as good as she got.  
  
AWhy, neither of course. I=m running a sample of Nightbreed residue up to the lab.@ She leaned over the other woman=s desk. AWould you like to smell it?@ Aiko couldn=t help but flinch. Intellectually she knew that Yayoi was teasing her, but the very idea made her turn slightly green. It was bad enough just to see one of the nasty creatures, but the smell could turn the stomach=s of veteran NOS agents.  
  
Yayoi smirked, straightening, and continued her trek back to her desk. Her meals were always large and full of enough protein to choke a carnivore. She ate foods that helped the fast production of red blood cells, and with good reason. She was the main source of nourishment for two very hungry, but moral, vampires. If they didn=t have her they might waste away, for they would not feed on an unwilling host. So she had to keep her strength up.  
  
As she was passing another set of desks, she overheard snippets of the conversation between them. The words Chief Inspector= and vacation= caught her attention. AWhat was that about the Chief?@ She asked, interrupting them and causing them to glance up guiltily. They relaxed when they saw that it wasn=t a supervisor. AThe word is that the Chief Inspector has gone on vacation!@ She exclaimed excitedly.  
  
Yayoi shook her head, disbelief showing clearly on her face. She absently brushed back a lock of her long raven-black hair as she contemplated this bit of news. When her superiors had found out that the private detective she often brought in on her cases was also a vampire she had literally been put in the spotlight. She had been interrogated, analyzed, poked, prodded, and generally been treated like a traitor to humanity for a while.  
  
She had argued in Shido=s defense, stating all the cases that he had helped her with. She recounted a little (but not all) that she knew of him and his character. She had tried to show them how helpful he was to the NOS=s cause and that of all humanity.  
  
It had been a near thing but central had finally come to the realization that having a Night Walker such as a vampire on their side would benefit them more than the effort of destroying it was worth. Yayoi privately doubted that they could really take down Shido. Vampires were among the most powerful of the countless supernatural population. If cornered Shido would fight, especially to protect his friends. Yayoi had made that perfectly clear in her statement to Central=s inquiry council.  
  
The Agency had gone against one or two vampires in the past, and the body count afterwards had always been horrific. The losses were eventually deemed unacceptable and now the NOS tended to avoid further confrontations with the creatures from that point on.  
  
The idea of having a vampire as an ally appealed to enough of the top brass to sway the vote in Yayoi=s favor. In fact, after only a few months of being on a kind of unofficial probation, along with the shunning by fellow agents, she had actually begun to win the grudging support and respect of those around her. They agreed that she had very resourceful to procure such a good contact and she continued her good case record without too much more comment. But some, like the Chief Inspector (she wondered sometimes if the man had a name) were still rabidly against the very existence of a vampire, much less one as an ally. To them, he was as bad as any of the body stealing Nightbreeds they fought against. They had wanted him exterminated immediately. The Chief Inspector was the worst of the lot and had only backed off when he was threatened with demotion for his insubordinate behavior.  
  
He then tried his best to make Yayoi=s life miserable by getting her assigned to inconsequential and uncomfortable cases. But as most often happens when you hang out with a guy like Shido, the weird cases still came to her. She was often the first agent on the scene (and during the scene) so the cases were technically hers. Her irritating superior would have to come up with a very good reason in order to take her off them. That required approval he no longer had with the main office.  
  
As far as Yayoi knew, the man hadn=t taken a vacation since he signed on to the NOS. He was famous in the agency for being his fanaticism in his single-minded quest to rid the world of all Nightbreeds. That he would suddenly decide that now was the time to get away from it all made her more than a little suspicious. Frowning slightly, her dark blue eyes thoughtful, she went back to her desk.  
  
****  
  
Guni watched as Shido fidgeted in his seat. Every twenty seconds or so his gaze would wander back to the clock. It was only three hours until sunrise. When he started drumming his fingers on the desk, the sprite decided that she had had enough.  
  
ASTOP THAT!@ She snapped, her high voice conveying the depths of her irritation.  
  
*  
  
Shido=s restless fingers paused in mid-motion, his attention coming back to the room around him. Where was she? When she was still new to being a vampire, Riho had often stayed away for days at a time. But as she had grown used to her new life she had taken to staying at the office unless they were out on a case.  
  
With the return of Cain, the one who had turned Shido into a vampire all those years ago, she had heeded his requests to stay closer to the office, seldom going home to her apartment. Shido feared more than anything that in his efforts to reclaim his lost protegee, Cain would kill Riho, permanently this time.  
  
With the continued inaction of the past week however Riho had grown bored and had gone for a short walk. Shido had resisted his initial impulse to go with her, knowing that she had to be by herself in order to relax like she needed to.  
  
He now regretted not heeding his instincts as he once again glanced at the now despised clock.  
  
Abruptly he stood up, his recently abandoned slamming into the back wall, causing Guni to squeak and jump midair in surprise. He stalked over to the door, grabbing his overcoat as he yanked the unfortunate portal open, prompting the straining hinges to creak in protest.  
  
Guni quickly flitted after him. AShe better not be getting Shido this worked up for nothing.@ She muttered to herself. Secretly, she hoped it was.  
  
****  
  
Riho sat in a corner of the padded cell, her knees pulled up to her chin and her arms wrapped around her legs. Her hands were sore from pounding futilely on the door; even her enhanced strength had not been enough to break through. She didn=t know what was happening or why these mysterious people had taken her prisoner. She didn=t even have a clue as to where she was. She rested her head on her knees and sighed. She wanted to go home. Shido-sa. . . Shido would be worried about her. Guni would just be annoyed.  
  
The thought made her smile softly. She drifted off to sleep imagining the little pest=s whiny voice, her slumber dreamless until she was awakened some hours later.  
  
****  
  
Guni quietly watched Shido as he sat on the couch, staring at nothing. He had stayed out as long as he could, looking for Riho. When the sun began to rise he had been forced back to the office, his search turning up no sign of the missing girl. Guni had suggested that Riho was just smart enough to know to take shelter from the sun. Shido had nodded distractedly and continued his staring match with the wall. He refused to get any sleep, but sat in the lounge area of his office, the shades drawn.  
  
*  
  
Shido couldn=t explain the sense of unease he was experiencing. Riho had been gone before and had turned up fine. He knew his paranoia had grown since Cain had returned, but he just couldn=t dismiss his disquiet so easily. Something was wrong. He felt it in his bones. No, not his bones, his blood. The blood he had shared with Riho. She was in trouble, and he had no idea where to find her. The thought kept him wide awake and tensed for battle. He waited impatiently for the sun to set.  
  
****  
  
Yayoi had abandoned the office for a day and decided to pay a visit to the three unhuman residents of the detective agency. When she opened the door her sly greeting died on her lips. In the dimly lit room she could just make out Shido=s form. His eyes briefly locked with hers, then seemed to lose interest and returned to their contemplation of the movement of light on the wall. It was nearly sunset.  
  
Yayoi quietly walked away from the door and went to sit by the obviously distraught man=s side. Looking around, she noted Guni hovering nearby, but there was a conspicuous absence of a certain bouncy young woman. AWhat happened?@ she asked softly, directing the question to Shido although Guni was the one to answer.  
  
AThe resident vampire secretary didn=t come home last night.@ She said, her voice somewhat subdued. She had watched the totally unresponsive Shido for hours after she had finally given up on drawing him into a conversation. The stress was beginning to get to even her.  
  
Yayoi turned a puzzled expression to Shido, watching the outline of his face. He hadn=t moved. AIs there reason to believe that she is in trouble?@ She asked. Guni shook her head. AWe didn=t find so much as a clue last night. She=s probably fine, but try to convince Shido of that.@ Yayoi studied Shido=s profile again and mustered up some encouragement. AI=m sure she=s fine too. Knowing her, she probably found another small animal in trouble. She was just delayed for a bit, that=s all.@  
  
Shido finally showed some signs of life as his head slowly shook back and forth. ADo you have any proof to the contrary?@ Yayoi pressed, her eyebrow raised in inquiry.  
  
ANo.@ He said, but his voice was firm in his resolve. AThe strange thing is that I have absolutely no evidence that she isn=t all right. But neither do I have any that she is. All I have is a feeling. A feeling that wherever she is she is definitely not alright. I don=t know how I know this. I just do.@  
  
Yayoi continued to look at him. The rational part of her mind argued against not substantiating the facts, but she knew as well as any agent or cop the value of hunches. She glanced at the wall in time to see the last rays of the sun disappear. When he got up to leave she followed.  
  
****  
  
Riho was awakened by a loud blare of noise from the hidden speakers. Light flooded the previously dark room and she closed her eyes from the sudden pain of it, her light sensitivity making it impossible to see. Standing up and shading her face she called out. AWho are you and what do you want?@  
  
She had asked that question many times in those first hours, but had received only silence as a reply. This time she got an answer, of sorts. AAll you need to know about me is that I am your keeper for now, little monster. You are here for a specific purpose. To prove once and for all the evil of your kind. All you truly deserve is death, but I=ve decided to keep you around in order to prove this point. Enjoy your final nights of tainting this world with your foul presence while you can.@ The harsh voice cut off, and Riho knew that it would not answer any more questions.  
  
Riho stood there, confusion and hurt showing on her face. Whoever held her captive was obviously quite mad. His statement had made little sense to her and the names and the utter contempt and loathing in his voice had shaken her. She had never known such complete hatred before. There was no reasoning, no getting to know this unknown person to try to change his opinion. His mind was made up and set in granite. Riho had a sinking feeling that she would truly learn to hate the sound of it in the days to come. He seemed to have torture on his agenda for her.  
  
She sat down again, her head bowed, her hair falling freely into her face. She frowned, her hand lifting to touch the crown of her head. Her ribbon was missing, she finally noticed. Riho wondered where she could have lost it.  
  
*****  
  
Yukido woke up in his corner of the small apartment he shared with his mother. He briefly contemplated not getting up, but knew that he would be kicked awake as soon as his mom came to. He had to go out on the streets again, be a provider. *There must be an easier way to get cash.* He thought to himself and paused. Where had that idea come from? Briefly he remembered a girlish voice and a wave of golden brown hair.  
  
Shaking his head and wondering if he'd somehow gotten into his mom=s medicine stash, he got up. He absently stroked his new good luck charm as he prepared to hit the streets..  
  
*****  
  
Shido paced along the sidewalk, the eyes behind his sunglasses continually scanning his surroundings. He had been searching for three nights now without a single clue as to Riho=s whereabouts. He had resorted to showing a picture of her to passerby and locals, with no luck. It was like she had vanished off the face of the earth. Rounding a corner, he came in sight of a butcher shop. The smell was enticing. Yayoi had abandoned the foot search in favor of calling in contacts to see if they had any news. He had not eaten in a while. Added to the fact that he hadn=t slept a wink since Riho went missing, he was feeling slightly ragged. The smell of fresh blood wafted to him again and he found himself turning his steps toward the store=s door.  
  
He stepped in to the jingle of an overhead bell, and had to stand there for a moment, blinking in the strong light that penetrated even his dark glasses. He looked around the empty looking shop, his senses a bit overwhelmed by the meat scent and the lights. Coolers lined the walls and packed dried product filled a few shelves in the middle.  
  
AWhat c=n I do for ya?@ A gruff voice demanded from somewhere among the inventory. A previously hidden man in a stained butcher=s apron stood up from where he had been stocking shelves. His bulky form towered over Shido as he made his way over to the counter near the door where the newest meats were displayed. ABuy somethin= or get out, I haven=t the time to stand around!@  
  
Shido gazed back calmly through his shades. Customer service was obviously not this man=s forte. Scanning the cooler nearest the grouchy mass, he spotted a few containers marked in red. He was surrounded by blood smell, but these seemed to contain a more concentrated scent. He swallowed hard, his mouth filling with saliva as his body reminded him, rather pointedly in the case of his lengthening canines, that he hadn't fed in days. Quickly he averted his gaze, his eyes straying back to those of the butcher.  
  
The look of annoyed bullishness had been replaced on the man's face by a thoughtful one. His gaze darted from the detective to the containers. He leaned forward slightly, studying the lavender-haired vampire. Tilting his head slightly, the gesture making him look like an inquisitive bear, he finally spoke. "Tatsuhiko Shido?" he asked bluntly. Surprised, Shido nodded.  
  
At this the butcher's visage split in a grin, showing a rather uneven row of teeth. "So you're the guy! Well it's great ta meet ya sir. The little miss sure has you described down to the sunglasses." Shido blinked. This man obviously knew of him, but how? Wait, 'little miss?'  
  
"Riho? Do you know Riho?" he demanded, sudden hope welling up in him. The butcher nodded. "Aye, the little thing wandered into my store some weeks ago. Looked pale and shaky. I've been around a bit. You don't live in this city for long without knowing some things if you want to continue breathin.' She couldn't hide the flash of her eyes since she had no shades then." At the other's wary look he waved his hand in dismissal. "I've got nothin' against vampires and such. My motto is that if others leave me alone I do the same for them, and besides. . ." he trailed off, a look of fondness crossing his rough face. "I wouldn't hurt the little miss for nothin.'" Seeming to recollect himself he put on his normal scowl. "Anyways I saw that she was hungry and didn't see the harm in indulging her a bit. I let her sample my inventory," he said, gesturing to the containers that were quite obviously filled with blood. " I keep it around for stews, and other things." He grinned ruefully. "I even have some artists into weird ingredients use it for paint thickener."  
  
Shido nodded, his hard learned wariness of others knowing about him easing somewhat as he saw the obvious affection this man had for Riho. He was clearly a sentimentalist under that enormous craggy exterior. Clearing his head of assessments of the character of butcher shop owners, he got back to the present problem.  
  
"Have you seen her lately? Within the past few days?" He asked urgently, hope in his voice. His heart sank when the other shook his head, frowning. "Nope. She hasn't come in the past week. She doesn't come round that regularly so I wasn=t worried." He paused, his gaze sharpening to match his voice. "Should I be?"  
  
Shido nodded, his expression grim. AShe disappeared about three days ago and I was hoping to find her last whereabouts. Are you sure you haven=t heard anything?@  
  
The butcher paused, his large forehead creasing in thought. He started to shake his head then stopped, a light coming on in his eyes. AWell,@ he said slowly. AThere was one rather strange thing I noticed the other day. Seems the local Yakuza callin= themselves the Dragon Claw had about half their gang lookin= like their faces were redecorated with shovels. When they was asked about it they said they were jumped by a horde of bloodthirsty Onii.@ He snorted. AEveryone thought they were on something. But there was a rumor that they got their butts handed to them by a couple a kids. And one of them a little girl at that. I didn't think nothin' of it till now, but the girl coulda been her. You don't mess with that little one." He said, grinning at the thought.  
  
Shido nodded, excitement rising in his throat. Finally a lead. After getting the location of the gang's usual hangout, he thanked the helpful man for his help and started for the door.  
  
"Wait." The shopowner called. Shido turned, cautious but willing to see what he wanted. The butcher looked uncomfortable for a second. "It's obvious your needin' to feed and don't have the time so. . . " Quickly he took out several of the containers, pouring a bit of the contents from each container into a large styrofoam cup. As an afterthought he took out a clean knife and pricked his thumb, allowing a few drops to fall into the mix. Putting a lid on it, he handed it to the stunned vampire.  
  
"On the house." He said gruffly. "You'll be needin' your strength to help her. You won't be of any use if yer passin' out all over the place. No time to warm it up, just take it and go. And you'd better find her or you'll be answerin' to me." He scowled menacingly, thought the effect was ruined by his obvious concern.  
  
"GO!" He bellowed as Shido opened his mouth to say something. Closing it, he nodded headed for the door once again. "I'd sip it slow if I was you." The not so unfriendly giant called. "The little miss calls it 'The Tingler' fer a reason."  
  
"Well, that was weird." Guni's voice piped up by his ear, as usual hidden in his long lavender hair while in public. "I wonder who else she's been blabbing to."  
  
"I believe that was an isolated case." Shido replied absently. "Riho's a smart girl. She wouldn't endanger us needlessly." The only reply he got was a small huff. Guni had been curbing her snide comments about the young vampire lately. It showed just how worried she really was.  
  
Shido strode down the sidewalk, intent on his new goal. Absently, he brought the cup to his lips. It had no opening. After puzzling over it for a moment, he smiled in realization at what evidently was a little joke between Riho and her large friend. He punctured it with his fangs, tilting the container to sip the contents.  
  
As the mixture hit his tongue it sent a jolt through him. He swallowed, trying not to cough. The combination of so many different blood types and species was enough to give it a kick that to a vampire was the equivalent of a strong fizz. All those cells fighting each other. Shido sampled it more cautiously, feeling slightly light-headed. If Riho drank this all the time she must have a real tolerance. However, he had to admit that after the initial shock he kind of liked the taste, though he would have preferred it hot.  
  
Chuckling slightly, he wondered what else he would discover about Riho's night life. He'd just have to find her and see. His mind returning to the problem at hand, he made his way through the streets.  
  
--------------- All I can do now is ask for your patience. I have a lot of projects ahead of this one. Encouragement will still, of course, be welcome.^_^ Threats are fun, constructive advice is appreciated, criticism ignored after a hurt glance. 


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